Home
by HarleyyJay28
Summary: "I'm sorry," I squeak as he gets his keys out. "I don't know-" He shakes his head a fierce expression on his face but says nothing, the harsh rain matching his demeanor. As he opens the door I stand in the doorway never wanting more to crawl into a hole and die. He shakes the umbrella and, closing it, looks up at me. "Are you coming in or are you just going to let my heat out?"
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Hey Arnold blabbity blah blah etc.. Now! Commence fluff! **

I rev the engine one more time. Nothing. With a sigh I scroll through my phone again and try to call Phoebe. Nothing.

"UH!" I growl in frustration. No one was answering their phone and I had called everyone. Scrolling through my call log again I read off the names.

"Phoebe, Brian, Phoebe, Gerald, Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe-oh" I whack forehead remembering Phoebe's on a plane to Kyoto to visit family. In my haste I had forgotten. I look back to the phone and see his name. My finger hovers over it.

"No." Shaking my head I get out the car. I am pulled over on an old back road in the middle of scenic nowhere. At least I don't recognize anything in the dark. Every now and then a car or truck passes by but no one stops to help. And I wasn't asking. Again I think about calling him, but shake my head and look to the sky. Pressing the talk button on my iPhone I frown.

"Is it going to rain Siri?"

*d-ding*

"Yes. The weather forecast shows a 90 percent chance of rain where you are."

I groan. "And where exactly am I?"

*d-ding* A map appears on my screen.

"Brunswick Ave? How the heck did I get to Brunswick Ave?"

*d-ding*

"I'm afraid I have no answer for you."

Feeling utterly defeated I sighed. "Just take me home Siri."

"Okay. Sending you home."

I watched the big blue arrow spin around and point to my right. There was a dusty side road that seemed to stretch on forever. Sighing, I grab my backpack out of my car and start walking. The area just outside the city is beautiful. It's very country, almost another world compared to the bustling city part of Hillwood. I pass a field full of old maples, their colored leaves swirling around me in the cool fall breeze. A picket fence housing some beautiful blanketed mares whom I stop and take a picture of. Checking my phone every now and then to follow the path Siri gave me. As I walk, my thoughts lead me back to him. I shake my head again. I could never call him. Or see him. He was done with me and he had every reason to be.

"In 5.3 feet turn right."

My feet on autopilot, I follow what I heard, now not lost in thought. I had lost my chance with him and now the reality of it settled in me like the heavy clouds that roamed above. Then I felt a drop.

"Oh gosh no. How long now Siri?"

*d-ding*

"You are here."

I blink and look up. The sight I see cause tears to well up in my eyes. Why would the stupid phone bring me here? I sit on the curb, deflated and feeling very much alone. The rain comes hard and fast and my tears come with it. Why was this happening to me?

I shield my eyes as all too familiar head lights turn the corner coming down the pavement. The old pickup squeezed right into the alley beside Sunset Arms and stops in the entrance.

The driver doesn't make any move to get out

'Maybe he didn't see me,' I think desperately and look down thinking maybe if I don't look at him he'll ignore me and walk away. This thought leaves me with a mix of disappointment and relief. Then the rain stops around me and I look up. He's putting a blanket over my arms, the other hand holding an umbrella over me. I didn't even hear the truck door open.

Wiping my face I try to regain whatever composure I have left. Saying nothing he grabs my hand, lifting me up off the found and towards the house. I try but the words drown in my tears.

'Is he angry?' I think as we approach his front door. 'Of course he is. You hurt him. He hates you and now you're back giving trouble.'

"I'm sorry," I squeak as he gets his keys out. "I don't know-"

He shakes his head a fierce expression on his face but says nothing, the harsh rain matching his demeanor. As he opens the door I stand in the doorway never wanting more to crawl into a hole and die. He shakes the umbrella and, closing it, looks up at me.

"Are you coming in or are you just going to let my heat out?"

My eyes water again. "Arnold I'm sorry. I didn't want to come hear I-"

He grabs my arm abruptly and pulls me in shutting the door behind me.

The tears won't stop now. They flow freely and I know there is nothing I can do. His green eyes hold mine, searching for something.

"I'm sorry." I say again. "I didn't mean to cause you trouble. I don't even know how I got here I was turned around and my car broke down and no one was answering their phone and I told Siri to take me home and this is where I ended up." I looked down to the puddles I was creating on the carpet in the entryway. "I'm so sorry." I choke. I'm not sure if it I'm apologizing for the water damage, coming here, or what happened between us.

He says nothing. I look up to see him pinching the bridge of his nose. He was thoroughly exasperated. 'With me,' I think sadly.

"I'll just..go." Turing towards the door I grab the handle only to feel a strong grip to my wrist spin me around, then his arms around me wrapping me up in warmth. I blink and instinctively wrap my arms around him.

"No," he whispers after a while. "No you'll stay here and dry off and...never. Leave. Again."

I pull back to look in his bright green eyes. He was serious. "But-"

"No." He says again putting his hands on either side of my face, stroking his thumbs across my tears. "God I can't believe you. Looking at me all dejected. Did you really think I'd send you out in the rain? That I'm completely done with you?"

I nod slowly. That's exactly what I thought. He shakes his head again and brings his face closer to mine, until our foreheads are touching.

"I love you Helga. How can you not know that?"

"I-"

His presses his warm lips to mine, effectively stopping any protest I may have had. Tightening his hold on me he kisses me softly, lovingly, just like before and I know nothing has changed. He loves me for reasons I still can't understand. After a while he pulls back and kisses my nose softly. Then my forehead.

"I didn't put that ring on your finger to have you running away from me." He breathes and kisses me again, this time with urgency. Like I'm the water in the desert he's been without for far too long. All too soon though he releases me and fixes me with his half-lidded stare. Then grabbing my hand, he pulls me to the steps. "Now come," he says his voice warm, sending a blush to my cheeks. "Let's get you out of those clothes." I smile and follow him, relieved to hear him teasing. After a warm shower and him fussing after me, I am content to lay in Arnold's arms under the skylight. Listening to the soft evenness of his breathing as he sleeps. There is much to talk about but tonight this is what I need. What we both need. So I close my eyes and relent to sleep, happy to be home again.

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**Authors Note: This is my first posted fic. I actually wrote this years ago. Remember reviews are love ❤️**


	2. Chapter 2

**So a few people asked about what happened with them and the next two chapters were born. This short chapter, is kinda just a necessary segue.**** Anyway, on with the story!**

Light streams through the skylight as the morning sun rises over Sunset Arms. In Arnold's bed lay he and Helga, comfortably. His room had not changed much over the years, more pictures here, less toys there. It now more resembled the room of a 28-year-old man.

And his wife.

The pink fluffy robe hung up beside his, the extra closet space he had put in when she moved in, even the new pillows she added to his bedspread. The room held the little touches of a woman.

Helga hisses slightly as the sunlight fell on her eyes. She has never been a morning person but, given the night she'd had, was even more irritated than usual with the sun. Does it have to be so dang bright so dang early? Helga felt more than heard Arnold chuckle as she slid lower against his chest, burrowing her face there. She was trying to salvage the remnants of sleep that were slipping away, not in any way looking forward to leaving the warmth of their bed.

With a heavy sigh, Arnold tightened his hold on Helga before giving in to the sun's beckoning.

"Mm, morning Helga," he breathed, sleep still in his voice.

Helga on the other hand was not having it. "Not yet, Football Head," she groaned before pulling the blankets higher on them. Throughout the years the nickname had stuck and become more endearing than insulting. Besides, Arnold had grown into his odd shaped head and was quite handsome. With a scoff Arnold sat up on one elbow and glanced down at his wife. Her blonde hair had fallen out of the wet bun she put it in the night before. It was now more of a damp, sagging ponytail.

"Helga your wet hair is cold."

"All the more reason to get back down here." Helga felt the last few vestiges of sleep leave her as Arnold, ignoring my commands, she thinks bitterly, sits up completely causing the comforter to slide down to her waist. With a stretch and a yawn, the young man sits back against his wall. Opening her eyes to slits, Helga glares at him before lifting the blankets back over her shoulders.

Arnold shakes his head with a chuckle before stepping over her and off the bed. Rummaging through his drawers he finds an old pink hoodie Helga had bought him back while they were dating and some sweats. After getting his clothes on he shoots a glance back to the woman in his bed. He walks over to her, kissing the covers now over her head.

"Pancakes?" he offers.

"Mm," she responds incoherently.

With a smile, Arnold heads downstairs to prepare breakfast.

Once Helga hears his footfalls down the attic steps she pulls the blanket down to her chin. "Great, I'm the one who should be sucking up and he gets up to make me breakfast," she grumbles to herself. With a sigh, she throws the covers off of herself and heads downstairs. It's Sunday and the borders wouldn't be up for another hour or so. Helga reveled in the silence as she walks down the hallway and heads down the second set of stairs. She takes a second to look at her husband. He is standing facing her, his phone in his hand and has already started measuring out the ingredients. She smiles when she sees the hoodie he's wearing.

No time like the present, she thinks and, with a deep breath for courage, enters the kitchen.

**Authors note (again): Mwahahaha. Now you'll never know! Nahh just**** kidding. Drop me a comment, if you like this story so far, or have any constructive criticism please and thank you. Also this may become a gaggle of shorts so I'm totally taking prompts.**

**But enough of that ballyhoo. Next chapter will be up soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**And here's the last chapter! Let the reconciliation begin!**

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Arnold glances up at Helga as she comes in and sits across from him at the table. There is silence for a while as Arnold continues measuring out the ingredients, then begins whisking them together. Apparently he was going to make her work for this.

Which she admitted, he deserved.

With a deep breath she launched right in.

"So look, I may have overreacted a bit." Arnold looked up at her, an eyebrow raised. "Okay," she said rolling her eyes. "I overreacted a lot."

Arnold blinks at her before setting down the bowl on the table, and sitting down.

In another situation Helga would have smiled. There was that patience she loved about him, making her feel like she was the most important person in that moment. And of course he uses it against me, she thinks. Not like we don't deserve it,another part of her adds. Hey! Whose side are you on anyways?

"Helga."

"Right words." She offers awkwardly. "It's stupid really but…"

Arnold says nothing, green eyes staring back at her. For a while there was that silence again.

"I .., just I don't know. My insecurities got the better of me. And you seemed so angry with me after the Sharon fiasco I just… I know that was my fault. But I just kept thinking…" Silence.

"Thinking what Helga."

"Thinking, you would be better off with someone else."

Arnold takes a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He runs his hand over his unruly hair.

"And you were so angry with me," she continues now, unable to stop. "You had every reason to be my emotions were going haywire with seeing her text to you and then you confronting me about it just, I just, I needed some time."

"I've fired her."

Helga's eyes widened in surprise. "W-what?"

"I made it clear that our relationship was purely professional and she wouldn't take that. So I fired her."

"Oh."

Arnold offers a sad smile. "You were right." He takes another breath before continuing, "I'm sorry too."

"You don't-"

"What I said to you," he cuts her off, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was cruel and I didn't mean it. Any of it."

Helga can still hear his words. "And what about you Helga?! Playing the victim card again here. You use the excuse of your illness to be absolutely unbearable sometimes! And quite frankly I'm tired of it."

"You're not unbearable," he continues. "And what you deal with is never your fault. I love you and will always be here to support you and let you know that."

She shrugs suddenly finding her fingernails fascinating. "Well how I acted wasn't any better."

Arnold's eyes leave hers for a second and look at the bowl in front of them, still ashamed. Helga smiles bitterly. "Seems like we can bring out the worse in each other, huh?"

Moving the bowl to the side, Arnold takes her hand in his and locks eyes with her again. For a second he just stares, trying to find the right words.

"I think it's because we care so much for one another," he begins. "So when we're hurt, we're hurt deeply and react harshly in return." He shakes his head, a smile finally gracing his features. "We also don't communicate very well."

Helga offers him a small genuine smile in return. "Well we have very different communication styles. When crap goes down, I'm ready jump in to talk about everything but-"

"Sometimes I need time." Helga nods when Arnold speaks. "Not just to process my emotions but to calm down so I don't lash out. Like I did last week." With a squeeze to his hand in her, Helga gets up abruptly and heads to the stove. Taking out the skillet she starts the stove before going to grab the olive oil.

"Well what's done is done." She says, pouring the oil onto the skillet to prepare it for pancakes.

She hears the chair scratch against the tile as Arnold stands up. He comes behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist before pulling her back to rest against his chest, causing a warmth to spread through her. His smell assaulted her senses.

"Is that all that's bothering you?"

Helga bites her lip, deliberating. Sometimes he can read her a little too well.

"Well," she begins. "..If you ever…I mean, do I ever?" Thoroughly exasperated with her inability to speak she turns around in Arnold's arms until she's facing him. "Look bucko, you need to tell me when things get to be too much. I get it, I do I can take a week away or stay with Pheebs and tall hair boy-"

"Helga."

"I'm just saying I know you literally signed up for this but that doesn't mean that things can't get overwhelming at times-"

"Helga G. Shortman."

Helga stops short, looking up in to his green eyes. Her favorite pools of emerald. She loved it when he said her name like that. She could feel his muscles clench beneath the sweatshirt as he held her close. God sometimes he was intoxicating.

"You're bipolar. Not diseased."

"Weeelll-" she starts.

"You know what I mean." She blinks as he continues. "Yeah sometimes things get crazy but I don't blame you for what you're dealing with. I'm here for better or for worse. I'm not gonna ship you off when you need me most. I just wish you wouldn't push me away when things get hard," he sighs. "It makes me think I'm not enough for you."

Helga jerks back in surprise almost burning her back on the stove. She reaches over to turn it off before fixing her blue eyes back on his. He looks unsure, eyebrows wrinkled together. All this time she had been so worried about him wanting her. She never thought she would need to assure him that he was wanted too.

She slides a hand to his cheek and can't ignore the pleasure she feels as he leans into her hand, his eyes going half lidded. Standing on her tiptoes she brings her lips to his. The kiss is soft at first, a sweet apology, before Arnold's arms draw her closer. She feels a sigh run through him as she deepens the kiss. He had to know, needed to know he was all she'd ever want.

She pulls back to look up at him again. "Arnold, there will never be anyone but you. I will always chose you." She laughs. "I imagine that I'm so crazy for you that you just know."

Arnold smiles, his eyelids heavy. "Well that's a pretty good way to start." he offers.

Helga notices his lips were quite red from her attentions and decides she needs to do all she can to see him look like this more often.

Another laugh escapes her and she leans up to kiss him again. Arnold slides over and lifts her up onto the counter, lips never leaving hers. The sun, now fully risen, streaming in through the kitchen window places it's warmth over the two lovers. Helga slides one hand up Arnold's arm giving it a squeeze, the other tangled into his hair, nails scratching at his scalp. He releases a sound of approval deep in his throat before lifting her up off the counter and into his arms.

"Arnold," she laughs. "The boarders-"

"Are all on… the cruise." He says pecking her lips in between words. "I didn't want to go in case you came back."

A blush paints her face and neck and Arnold smirks. "And they won't be back for a week." he whispers, his lips just below her ear. He's rewarded with a smile from the woman in his arms when he places a kiss there. He sets her down gently and she laughs. Happy to be reconciled. Happy to be with her husband.

Happy to be home.

And that, dear readers, is where we'll leave them.

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**Authors Note: Thank you for reading my story! And for those of you that pushed me for an answer. :)**

**Also if any of you have an idea you would like me to work on PM me. I'd love to give it a shot.**

**Until next time ✌ **


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